The premiere of Spike TV’s first original scripted action-adventure offering Blade: The Series on Wednesday, June 28 (10:00 PM – Midnight, ET/PT) drew record ratings for the network with a 2.0 HH rating and 2.5 million viewers, the highest premiere in network history for an original series. Additionally, Blade: The Series was the #1 entertainment show for the night with Men 18-34 and 18-49.

Blade: The Series tallied triple-digit gains in all key male demos versus last year including up +517% in M18-34 (2.6 rating, 680,000 viewers), up +472% in M18-49 (2.2, 1.17 million), up +277% in viewers (2.5 million), and up +247% in household rating (2.0, 1.8 million).

“We promised action and adventure with our first scripted series and really delivered,” said Doug Herzog, president, Spike TV. “Our targeted audience of men came through for us with big numbers. ‘Blade: The Series’ serves as a launch pad for future original scripted shows.”

Additionally, starting today, iTunes users can download a FREE copy of the two-hour premiere of Blade: The Series through July 11. The one-hour weekly series’ second episode premieres on Wednesday, July 5 (10:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT). New episodes will be available for purchase on iTunes the day after their premiere on Spike TV.

Blade: The Series features Kirk “Sticky” Jones in the title role as Marvel’s immortal half-man, half-vampire who uses his superhuman powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night in a blood- drenched crusade to prevent their rise over mankind. The series also stars Jill Wagner as double-agent “Krista Starr,” Neil Jackson as “Marcus,” Blade’s chief nemesis and head of the Chthon House; Jessica Gower as “Chase,” a seductive vampire who is devoted to Marcus; and Nelson Lee as “Shen,” a technology genius and Blade’s confidante.

Blade: The Series is based on the Marvel Super Hero and Produced by New Line Television. Bill McGoldrick, Vice President, Original Programming and Lisa Ullmann, Director of Original Programming, are executives in charge of production at Spike TV. Jim Rosenthal and Jon Kroll of New Line Television, Ari Arad, Executive Vice President, Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and David Goyer (“Blade” films, Batman Begins) all serve as series executive producers.